Eugene H. Corman

1927 - 2020 Eugene H. Corman ("Gene" to all who knew him) died peacefully at home on September 28, 2020, four days after his 93rd birthday, with his wife of 65 years, Nan, at his bedside. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Gene moved to Los Angeles in 1940 with his mother (Anne Corman), father (William Corman), and brother (Roger Corman) and attended Beverly Hills High School, where years later he was inducted into its Alumni Hall of Fame. He went on to attend Stanford University, where he played on the tennis team and was a member of Theta Delta Chi fraternity. After graduating from Stanford, Gene went to work in the entertainment industry. In the early 1950's, he became an agent at MCA, where he represented actors and directors such as Ray Milland, Joan Crawford, Fred MacMurray, Harry Belafonte, and Allan Dwan (who later became godfather to his two sons). It was at MCA that Gene met his future wife, Nan, who was working as a legal secretary for MCA's General Counsel. Gene enjoyed his time as an agent, but he ultimately wanted to produce films. So, in the late 1950's, he left MCA and partnered with his brother, Roger, with whom he made numerous films over the next several years. Then, in the mid-1960's, Gene struck out on his own, ultimately making films for Universal, Columbia, MGM, and United Artists. In 1978, he produced "The Big Red One," which was the United States' official entry at the Cannes Film Festival, and a few years later, he produced "A Woman Called Golda," for which he won an Emmy Award and a Christopher Award. In the early 1980's, he became a Vice-President at 20th Century Fox, overseeing production of the studio's television series. By the time he retired from the business in 1990, Gene had produced more than 30 films in a dozen countries and overseen the production of hundreds of hours of prime-time television programming. He was also a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, where for several years he served on the board that chooses which films to screen for members. As much as Gene liked making movies, his real passion was learning everything he could about modern and contemporary art. Gene and Nan became avid art collectors in the 1970's, even getting an apartment in New York so they could regularly visit the city's museums, galleries, and auction houses. At one point, Gene also served as Chair of the Beverly Hills Fine Arts Commission. Gene was a member of the Beverly Hills Tennis Club for many years. He made many wonderful friends at BHTC and in the entertainment industry, and he will be sorely missed. Gene is survived by his brother, Roger (Julie), and his loving wife, Nan, and their two sons, Todd (Jennifer) and Craig (Karen). He was also a devoted grandfather to Wyatt and Bayley (Todd), and Kyle and Paige (Craig). Gene will be interred next to his parents at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills in a private ceremony.